Amber Church and mum Helen at the spot where the four-year-old’s tooth was knocked out

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A mum has hit out at “shoddy” pavement resurfacing after her four-year-old daughter’s tooth was knocked out when her bike lost control on new tarmac.

Amber Church was left badly bruised with cuts to her face after her bicycle hit a bump while cycling along Birch Road, where gas engineering work has been taking place.

Mum Helen, 35, has blamed the accident on the poor resurfacing work carried out by Southern Gas Networks, who have been carrying out work in Birch Road and Finchampstead Road over the last few weeks.

Mrs Church, of Finchampstead Road, said the accident happened on Easter Sunday as Amber, who will soon begin attending Nine Mile Ride Primary School in Finchampstead, was cycling along Birch Road.

She said: “Amber was slowly riding along the pavement, as children do, when she hit a bump caused from the completely shoddy pavement, which had been badly filled in by the contractors.

“We were very lucky no vehicle was passing by, as she fell into the road cutting her face and losing one of her front teeth.

“This resulted in a trip to the out of hours doctors, a trip to a dentist and a very upset little girl who is now petrified to go on her bike.”

Although the resurfacing work was carried out by Southern Gas Networks, Wokingham Borough Council can intervene when it feels work is not up to standard.

Mrs Church, who works at a letting agents, said: “This is completely obscene we pay a vast amount of money in council tax and have pavements that just cannot be used.

“I have taken photos of her injuries and whilst there are no particular lasting effects, she now has a missing tooth until her larger ones come through around the age of five to six and only then can we be advised if her big teeth received any trauma from her fall.”

A spokesman for Southern Gas Networks said the area manager behind the work in Birch Road and Finchampstead Road is now liaising with Mrs Church to discuss the accident.

Wokingham Borough Council’s general manager place and neighbourhood services Mark Moon said: “An inspection carried out on Monday in Finchampstead Road and Birch Road found the site was tidy and that appropriate signs and guards were in place.”